Build Time

[no1i]

Curious to all the luthiers here, how long does it take you to build a 'standard' custom-build guitar (no custom inlays, unusual requests, etc)? Let me rephrase:

• How long does it take to build a guitar if its your only focus?
• How long does it take to build a guitar along with other custom orders?

I was watching a video from Goodall and it looks like it only took them 5 days which is quite amazing

[tadol]

I’m not a luthier - but -

A lot depends on what the luthier is starting with, making, or ordering. For some, would you include the time they spent re-sawing their backs and sides, planing and surfacing, as opposed to those that order sets that only need joining and finish sanding? Those that saw and thickness their own bindings, make their own rosettes, cut their own headstock inlay, purfling, linings, bracing etc? It used to be all the elements of a guitar had to be made - frequently in batches, so parts were ready when the build was started - but now, many of these parts are available on the web, even pre-slotted fretboards and pre-made bridges -

Once equipment is set-up and tuned for a particular operation, its sometimes just as easy to do a dozen as it is one - but when you are building one at a time, fine tuning your tools or jigs to make sure no mistake is made, can take more time than the job itself -

But hopefully some luthiers will chime in and give you their feedback -

[Fast Jimmy]

Don't be too surprised in you don't get any responses from Luthier's as more goes into a build than the number of hours labor, even though labor would be a major contributor to the price of an instrument. My thinking is, someone not very knowledgeable about what it takes to build an acceptable instrument might simply divide the number of build hours into the sale price and come to a conclusion that the Luthier is making an outlandish amount of money per hour worked. And that wouldn't be fair to the builder It's kinda like going to the Doctors office, $240.00 seems like a lot for a 15 minute visit, but you're buying more than that 15 minutes in terms of knowledge and experience.
Jim

[BrazGuy]

The ones I know and have already asked, make a guitar in 35/40 days. They all told me that: after carving and shaping the neck, I let it rest for at least 20 days, to stabilize the wood, as the process removes a lot of material from the neck. So add a week before the neck day to close the box and a week after the 20 days to finish the guitar, and for those 3 specific guys that I asked, another week for the tonerite process.

[jklotz]

If you are looking for something by a specific date, I'd recommend trying to find an "off the rack" guitar. Many of the busier luthiers have a waiting list, sometimes by as much as years.

I'm not sure exactly what you are looking for, but my guess is it's going to be different for every builder. There are far too many variables to make a blanket statement.

[PonchoFrancisco]

I would have to say, on average, a basic guitar with no bells and whistles, and depending on the finish, around 130-150 hours. Some people using pre-made parts will be faster. For example: I can buy a neck online, a fingerboard already fretted and the holes drilled for tuners and mounting to the body. It makes building much quicker, but most (not all) of the kit-guitars are not high quality materials, and leaves little or no room to customize. Bling is going to add time and money. If you compare a D-28 to a D-45, the cost of the inlay materials is not very great but it doubles the amount of hours of labor. The difference in the woods is mainly cosmetic. I've heard D-28's that sound better than some D-41's or D-45's. I had a lawyer ask me why custom guitars were so expensive, so I asked him how he makes an hour. He makes $200/hr, so I told him labor would be $26000 and then materials. Needless to say, his perspective changed.

[Guitars44me]

Good responses above!

The analogy to a Dr. Is appropriate, IMNSHO, as I want a PRO building my instruments. This Luthier stuff is never finished, and many of the best builders are constantly refining their process, even after lifetimes of building awesome instruments.

To the luthier's hours mentioned already, how about adding searching for Holy Grail Woods, and seasoning them for years and sometimes many decades.

Also, I understand that the finish work on a guitar can often take as much time as the build itself. It certainly affects the tone in a major way!

Then there are clients like myself who want a LOT of boss features like cutaways, multiple bevels, soundports, elevated Fretboard, adjustable neck, custom carve necks, and on and on.

Thank You John Kinnaird! And many thanks to ALL THE BUILDERS! You all ROCK!

Salud

Paul

[nootis]

After going through a whirlwind experience of building a guitar (mostly) in a week, I obviously have a new found perspective. There were a few items that were ready for my arrival such as a precut fingerboard (still not radiused or cut to shape though), neck and end blocks were made, kerfed linings were made, braces were cut and radiused (not carved), the top was joined, the 5 piece neck was laminated to rough shape and the color inner rosette was made. It was also extremely helpful that there was 3 of us working in tandem, and while I was working with Ryan or Steve or even by myself, whomever I was not working with was either sanding or cleaning up some of what I had already worked. In fact there is still an amount of hours that need to be given to get the guitar completely ready for finish. Speaking of finishing, that in itself takes a lot of time and is an art unto it's self. Many builders, including Kinnaird Guitars subcontract the finish process to others, but when the guitar comes back, I imagine a few more hours are spent attaching the neck and performing the final set up.

I got to do a lot of the glorious tasks in making a guitar, but for every hour it took to do those items, there was an equal amount of time sanding. These aren't the only jobs of a luthier, for they also have to maintain equipment, constantly clean up the shop, interact with customers, make jigs, etc., etc. Plus take into consideration that no build goes perfectly, so add time for problem solving and design-build engineering. PanchoFrancisco is absolutely right, the minute you add features such as a cut away, inlaid pearl, miters, bound headstock and fretboard, decorative items, etc. the build time can seemingly double. I have a newfound respect for what these craftspeople do.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Between 125 and 150 man hours over a 7 to 9 week period.

[fitness1]

In likely stark contrast to most of the answers you will see here - Bill at Charis built my dread in about 12-13 days start to finish.

It had a few folks here scratching their heads on how that was possible.

Turned out beautifully too!

[SonofA]

When I'm left alone, woods are already processed ,sides ready to bend. No fancy binding or elaborate inlay .....1 week.... but then the finishing process begins. I use oil, so that depends on the relative humidity & how damp it is.
Also a instrument can be "finished" with the neck glued in..I have better looking results with the neck & body are "finished " then glued up/set..so another week.
2 weeks for a strum-able noise making machine.
A neck will need about 1-2 weeks to relax , settle in & hold tune...sometimes.

[The Bard Rocks]

There is a lot of waiting involved - glue drying, "settling in", finish curing.... which typically shifts the time from start to finish from 1 month to 3. And of course, some builders are faster than others, just as some are more painstaking than others.